


I Heart You Bad (Another Everlark Valentine’s Day Drabble)

by hutchabelle



Series: Valentine's Day Drabble Series [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Middle School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Candy, Candy Hearts, Childhood Sweethearts, Developing Relationship, F/M, First Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Love, Love Confessions, Middle School, Prompt Fill, School, Short & Sweet, Siblings, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, Young Katniss Everdeen, Young Love, Young Peeta Mellark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:08:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29680956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hutchabelle/pseuds/hutchabelle
Summary: Katniss Everdeen hated Valentine’s Day until Peeta Mellark gave her a card that melted her heart in sixth grade. Now, she’s thirteen, and her boyfriend has a message for her.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen & Primrose Everdeen, Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Series: Valentine's Day Drabble Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2180436
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35
Collections: Seasons of Everlark





	I Heart You Bad (Another Everlark Valentine’s Day Drabble)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LovelyToTheBone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelyToTheBone/gifts).



> Written for Seasons of Everlark
> 
> Prompt: Conversation hearts. That's it. That's the prompt.

“Come on, come on, come on!” Prim Everdeen shouted down the hall. Katniss rolled her eyes and tied a ribbon on her braid before grabbing her backpack and heading into the living room.

“Calm down, Little Duck. You’re eight. The world is not that dramatic.”

Katniss could say this because she was the ripe age of 13, a teenager, a seventh grader, and a big sister. She had some experience, and all of that assured her that Prim didn’t need to shout to get her attention. Besides, there was no reason to hurry to school. Just because it was Valentine’s Day didn’t mean Katniss needed to rush. Catching one last glimpse of herself in the hall mirror, she motioned her sister to the door and followed to the bus stop.

“Do you have your cards?” Prim asked as they boarded the bus.

Katniss sniffed and nodded her head. “The few I bothered to fill out. There aren’t that many people I want to give them to this year.”

“I bet Peeta gets a special one,” Prim teased, and Katniss blushed. Nudging her sister, she headed to the back of the bus and took a seat by the window. She busied herself looking at the houses as they flashed by, although that didn’t help ease her nerves.

There was no reason to be nervous. She knew that, but she still was. Peeta wasn’t just her boyfriend. He was really, really special to her. He’d saved her life with a loaf of bread. Well, technically, he’d only saved her pride with a Valentine’s Day card, but it had included an image of a loaf of bread and a half-baked pun about “loafing” her. She’d never enjoyed the holiday before he’d placed that lime green envelope on her desk, and she still got all squirmy when she thought about it. They’d become friends before he’d finally asked her to be his girlfriend, but she had a feeling something more was coming. If it was, today might be the day he finally got up the courage to take that step.

The bus arrived at school faster than she wanted, and she trudged down the stairs and into the building. She waved at her sister as they parted ways—Prim toward the elementary and herself into the junior high wing. She was almost to her locker before her heart started beating normally. Peeta waited for her, as he usually did on school day mornings. She smiled softly at him and tried to hide the pleased flush as he held out a small wrapped package to her.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Katniss,” he offered in greeting and beamed at her.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Peeta.”

She slipped her backpack off her shoulder and stuck it in her locker. Digging into the depths, she produced the small stack of cards and flipped through them to find his. Shyly, she handed it to him and ducked her head when he reached for it eagerly. He opened it slowly, relishing every second of receiving something from her, and she wished he’d hurry it along. He was being maddeningly slow. His face lit up with delight when he pulled the card free. She’d kept the theme from the previous year with an image of a yellow cat pawing at a black one and the words “I knead you.”

“It’s Buttercup!” he crowed, and she nodded earnestly.

When he was finished reading her message, he waved at her to open her package. She fumbled with the wrapping with clumsy fingers, but eventually, she tugged the small box free. It was conversation hearts. Puzzled, she looked at him in confusion.

“Open it.”

When she did, multi-colored candy hearts fell into her palm. She still didn’t get it, but he encouraged her to look closer. Then, she saw it. Every single piece of candy had the same message stamped in pink lettering. The words took her breath away.

“I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time. I know we’re young, but it’s true.”

Classmates bustled around them, and Katniss had a vague awareness of the other people in the hallway. Usually not one for public displays of affection, she couldn’t help herself. She flung her arms around him and pressed her face into his neck. She floated on clouds throughout the day, and she was still glowing when she met her sister after the final bell rang.

“Well?”

“He gave me these,” she said softly and held out her hand.


End file.
